220712-F-IU083-1132

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii (July 12, 2022) - A U.S. Air Force MQ-9A Reaper, a remotely piloted aircraft, lands at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022 military forces from Australia, Canada, Malaysia and the U.S., fired upon and sunk the decommissioned ex-USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60), July 12, during a sinking exercise (SINKEX) to gain proficiency in tactics, targeting and live firing against a surface target at sea. Unmanned and remotely operated vessels extend the capability of interconnected manned platform sensors to enhance the warfighting capacity of multinational joint task forces. SINKEX vessels are put through a certified cleaning process, including removing all environmentally harmful material including trash, floatable material, mercury, fluorocarbon and petroleum. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Ariel O'Shea)